of the 'Brian Eno - On Land' type.
I just stumbled across a friend of a friend's band's myspace page through last.fm (I love that that sentence would have made no sense 4 years ago) called Patel Pretal (http://www.myspace.com/patelpretal) and was fascinated by what I heard. I can' say I 'liked' it, but it intrigued me, and I followed some links around to listen to some more by similar groups.
Anyone care to recommend some particularly good/interesting stuff for someone who's never really investigated this type of music before? That it's 4:30 in the morning may have a lot to do with this sudden burst of interest...
Philip Glass
Autechre
Aphex Twin
Boards of Canada
Sigur Ros
Tangerine Dream
Can/Kraftwerk/Neu! kraut stuff
Windy and Carl <--
David Sylvian solo
I dunno, is this the right ball park?
Belong
Belong's "October Language" is pretty much amazing and kind of like this Patel Pretal character(s).
(although probably near impossible to obtain)
the colorloss record ep too
innit
Stars of the Lid
Are the obvious choice. One of my favourite bands and the obvious successors to Eno. Lichens and Valet make good ambient music of the more unsettling kind.
Try William Basinski too. They've just put all his stuff on Emusic. Since they are 20-60 mins per track that's virtually nothing. It's tape loops decaying. I believe he was a bit of a pioneer in the field but didn't record much until the 90s.
I've
been getting into Basinski recently, beautiful music.
Windy & Carl are very good too, again lots of stuff up on Emusic (worth signing up as Ambient tracks are so long that you can get loads for your money) - try Antarctica: Bliss Out V.2. Another one: Eliane Radigue-Trilogie De La Mort (very drone based, but worth giving time to especially if you're after darker ambient)
Eluvium
i'm listening to them right now as it happens, it's rather awesome early morning/ late at night listening
also max richter; just for the murakami quotes on his last album :P (that and the fact the songs he produces are stunning)
Efterklang's sound pretty ambient from time to time too (check out 'hands play butterfly' it's rather beautiful)
...
aMute
Loren Dent
Jessica Bailiff
Valet
Lichens
Faust
isn't really ambient
but the repetition and electronic noises are pretty relaxing
go for
Robin Guthrie & Harold Budd - Before the Day Breaks/ After the Night Falls.
2 ambient albums released simultaneously which are capable of immediate mood change. Pretty much along the same lines as Enos Music for Airports and 2 of my favourite records of last year.
helios
thank me later
also
check out fennesz. both not quite ambient but amazing
or...
Helios - Eingya..... and his Goldmund stuff, newer Helios is disappointing if you ask me :(
thank me later.
I love his voice!
Boo to the haters!
Big list
Belong
Windy & Carl
Stars Of The Lid
Eluvium
Yume Bitsu
White Rainbow
William Basinski
Landing
Surface Of Eceon
Fennesz
Tim Hecker
Keith Fullerton Whitman
kompakts
pop ambient series is very nice
.
Ryan Teague
Greg Haines
Deaf Centre
Yes to Greg Haines
he was brilliant supporting Stars of the Lid last year.
Patel Pretal
make some lovely drone. They're kind of influenced by Grouper who makes amazingly beautiful, albeit slightly more song based, music.
Check: http://www.myspace.com/grouperrepuorg
My favorite ambient stuff at the moment is Alva Noto and Ryuichi Sakamoto. Alva noto is a German minimalist electronic composer and Ryuichi is an incredible pianist:
http://www.last.fm/music/Alva%2BNoto%2B%252B%2BRyuichi%2BSakamoto
Loscil
which is the electronic side project of Scott Morgan (from Destroyer) is pretty cool in a fairly minimal ambient sort of way. Also Susumu Yokota who produces experimental usually sample based ambient electronica as well as house music and Yuchiro Fujimoto who i discovered randomnly while brwosing bleep.
yeah
Calling him ambient might be pushing it a tad, but try out some Fennesz. Venice and Endless Summer are pretty awesome.
I'd also reccomend the yearly Kompakt Pop Ambient compilations!
Brian Eno MINIMONSTA SYNTH
If you like ENO stuff you may well enjoy the start of All I can give. It starts of with ENO then turns pink floydy.
http://www.last.fm/music/Ben+Frost/_/All+I+can+give
The patelpretal stuff is pretty creepy shit, 'through the venis of silver' reminds me of Alan's psychadelic breakfast.
Wow
that's quite a list. Thanks! I'm going to see what I can find later and report back.